To quote Bon Jovi we are indeed half-way there as we have reached Day Fifteen of thr #30daysoftrek challenge.
This one should keep us on our toes just a bit. We've had battles, we've had episodes so let's look at something that Star Trek did particularly well - the character conflict.
Look back at the history of the franchise and there have been more than we can remember in a few paragraphs - Kirk and Khan, Picard and Q, Sisko and Dukat - or maybe it's those one off moments where two actors have truly connected through the power of the script and some damn fine acting - certainly I would cite Picard and Riker in The Pegasus as one of the best examples of that coming to pass.
For my choice today I'm picking Kira and Kai Winn. The Sisko/Dukat conflict was brilliant and we've mentioned it a few times but as far as personal sparring goes I can't better the relationship that these two have. It's made even better through the superb acting of both Nana Visitor and Louise Fletcher and the scripts they had to work with. It may never come to blows but the relationship is filled with venom and hatred right from the first moment they meet as Winn has very different views on both Bajor and the Federation to the major.
Every time they meet, their previous encounters build more and more fuel on the fire and it's absolutely key to listen to the words that neither of them and in the slightly patronising manner in which they choose to address each other. If you're looking for examples I'd point towards both In the Hands of the Prophets, The Circle trilogy and The Collaborator as well as Life Support which is perhaps Winn at her most devious. I'm not a big fan of Bareil but within the relationship Kira and Winn have, his life accounts for a lot and that latter episode example is perfect viewing to understand why. Her decisions are clearly self-serving and a further way to get the upper hand on Kira - something that she continues to do when the major gets reacquainted with Shakaar later in the third season.
Sadly as the Dominion arc grew in popularlity and the Bajoran religious arc wained, we did lose some of the spark of this rivalry but it's still a sparkling example of that one-on-one play that the series knew how to ignite so well.
Was there an ongoing conflict or a one-off story that has stuck in your memory? Who had the best verbal sparring opportunities in the franchise?
Follow 30 Days of Trek and join in with the daily challenge across the SKoST social media platforms! I'll be back at 1pm TOMORROW with the sixteenth question!
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